CUSTOMER CARE: by Sandra idossou:Your are the image of your company

I met Emmanuel last time at this bank and complained about the fact that I was not receiving my bank statements. Just like the staff, I had in the past complained to, Emmanuel told me that he will personally take care of this issue. Of course I didn’t believe him. My surprise came in when in the evening; he called me to inform me that he will continue the next day to solve my issue. I was very impressed by his call and quiet amazed to receive the next day all my bank statements via my e-mail. Service staff have an important role as they represent the image of their company. When a customer deals with a staff, he is dealing with the whole institution. Often service people are the “company” in the eyes of the customer. Every company needs a good image and reputation that can only be achieved through the professionalism of its staff; both contact and supporting staff. Front line people need to understand that they bear the entire image of their company on their shoulders. They should be empowered in becoming more effective in assisting clients. Here are some few tips to help you give a good image of your company to your customers. 1. Leave your problems at home before coming to work. Customer service is all about delivering exquisite service to customers while they are at our shops. If service people come to work with their personal issues, they will not be able to play the role they are supposed to play. Everyone goes through personal issues of some sort and it can be difficult to concentrate on one’s job. For this reason, it is essential to keep personal problems to at the entrance of the company. When you are at work, focus only on that work. Separate your personal matters to your work. Do not allow them to jeopardize your position in the work place. 2. Do what you say you will do. Even though your personal promises are from you to the customer, the results reflect on the entire company. Customers know that if they can trust a company’s representative (Emmanuel for instance in my experience), then they can trust the whole company (Ecobank). Know and respect the promises that are written on your company brochures, websites and other advertising tools. If your company advertises that you are a 4 star hotel, you need to be able to portray that in the way you handle the customer. Be honest with your customers. Let your word be a commitment. Avoid making empty assurances and unrealistic promises no matter how small they are. There is a Hebrew proverb that says that “Promise little and do much” and Denis Waitley also says that “Losers make promises they often break. Winners make commitments they always keep”. 3. Show concern to your Customers. Clients just want immediate answers or at least helpful information when they want it. Contact staffs actions, attitudes, communication skills; behaviors should really “sell” the company’s image to customers. Their approaches should show concern. They should show empathy because it is an important component of Customer Service. When they show concern about what matters to customers, they will then be able to offer the exact services that will satisfy them and make them become loyal to their businesses. As a frontline staff, remember that you have an important role as an ambassador of your company. The good image and reputation of your company lies in your hands. When you are talking to a customer, note that you are talking on behalf of all your colleagues. So be responsible. “As far as customers are concerned you are the company. This is not a burden, but the core of your job. You hold in your hands the power to keep customers coming back – perhaps even to make or break the company.” The writer is a customer service consultant working in Rwanda. sandra.idossou@sheiconulting.com